


Valuable Advice

by summerartist



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Crying, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Whump, but it is not this day!, snake-like aliens, someday I'll stop whumping Ten
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:35:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27879234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/summerartist/pseuds/summerartist
Summary: Ten is trapped and desperate. It turns out that he needed some words of wisdom.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 21





	Valuable Advice

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Therapy is rough (but super helpful). Ten emoting felt like a bit of a cleanse, and I hope this fic has a similar result as well as voices some good logic.

* * *

The Doctor came-to completely silently. Most species regained consciousness with a groan or some other involuntary noise, but not Gallifreyans. He heard a whuffing sound near his right ear. He parted his lips and inhaled. He tasted reptile and mammal at once, along with a unique metallic tang that reminded him of a species. He searched his mental data banks for the name.

Something smoothed over his hair. He dared to open his eyes. Everything was blurry, but his body began to process the physical stimuli around him. He was wrapped up snugly between coils. It was very much like an Earth snake, except the coils expanded and tapered at the ends. It was a “mate.” Usually, other cultures used variations of words for friend for their species. He called them something that his English humans could understand.

He moaned as a sharp pain throbbed near his abdomen. Had that been there this whole time?

The coils moved beneath him, splaying his body out more. His upper torso clenched up.

“Reeelaxx, Time Loord,” the Mate crooned to him. “You muust sleep to heal.”

The Doctor let out a discontented groan. Where was everyone? They could be in danger while he was just cuddled up here, snoozing obliviously. He attempted to sit up. Fire erupted in his belly and his squawk of pain echoed through the cavern.

“Yooou must listen,” the being chided him. “Rest.”

“I can’t. I need to find my friends. They could need my help.” He panted, still trying to prop himself up.

The coils slid up and very carefully pressed down. He was well and thoroughly pinned, at the mercy of this being.

“Please,” the Doctor said. He would do anything, even beg, to see that his friends were alright.

The Mate regarded him. “Theeey are well. My brethren are taking care of theem. Yoou were the one that was hurt.”

Even though he was helplessly pinned, he kept on struggling. Maybe he could find a way out if he could just find a way through the tangle of coils. Something shifted from far overhead, and the upper body of the Mate was carefully draped over him. A forked tongue flicked out near his face, tasting his fear and pain. Large scaly paws rested on his shoulders.

“Yoou must fiirst take care of yourself ifff you wishh to help others,” the Mate said sagely. “I will heelp.”

“But-” The Doctor made a frustrated noise. He really did need to check on his human friends. He couldn’t do without seeing for himself that that they were well. He couldn’t lose anyone.

“Rest.”

He stopped listening to the cooing and reassurances. He needed to get up. He attempted to shimmy down, but his muscle tension traveled from his legs to his abdomen. He ended up gasping, drowning in a natural scent that the creature released to temper their predators. He struggled and whimpered, going out of his mind with the cocktail of chemicals designed to calm him.

To his horror, he started crying. It didn’t seem to phase the being. No doubt the Mates were used to reducing their predators to tears or the mental equivalent of that.

He pleaded and sobbed. Even his magnificent Time Lord psyche was no match for this evolutionary advantage that came about on another planet. He cried himself weak, experiencing excruciating jolts through his abdomen. The Mate cuddled him close as his sobs morphed from worry to pain. His belly _hurt._ _A lot._

“We haaave you,” the Mate exhaled into his ear.

The Time Lord tasted salt water on his tongue and his nose was snotty. His humiliation faded into the background as the waves of comfort continued to break over him. Maybe...maybe they really were safe. Maybe he was too. As long as his humans were alive…

* * *

The process of waking was much more comfortable this time. His stomach was no longer throbbing and something cold and wet lay tucked under his neck and collar. His wrists and face were freshly damp, as if they had received a soothing bath.

As his eyelashes fluttered, he found himself releasing a contented sigh.

“There’s Sleeping Beauty,” a voice drawled.

The Doctor opened his eyes to see Martha and Jack sitting on either side of him. Martha was frowning, deep concern in her eyes. Jack’s expression was harder to read. His smile wasn’t its usually bright mask though. The Doctor glanced around and realized that he lay on a medical cot in the infirmary. A bowl and flannel sat on the side table, no doubt having been used for washing his face. Why had- Oh!

“I’m fine,” he assured them.

He felt alright. His memory was a bit foggy, but he remembered the main points of interest.

“The Mates said that you woke up during the healing process,” Martha said. “They said you had been a bit... disoriented and stressed. Are you feeling alright?”

The Doctor slowly sat up. Both Martha and Jack reached a hand out as if to catch him if he was unsteady. “Yes, brilliant! Perfectly fine! I do remember that there was a hole in my stomach though.”

He pulled up his shirt and found only a small bandage stuck to his abdomen.

“It’s nearly completely healed,” Martha assured him. “Doctor, what happened? When Jack and I came to check on you you were very restless.”

As the Doctor surveyed their expressions, he found himself swallowing sheepishly. Here they were, whole and hale. Jack might be immortal, but the Time Lord still worried for his psyche. Martha was very human too, physically vulnerable despite her strength. But he, the infallible Time Lord, had been the one in need of assistance.

What was it that the Mate had said? In order to help others he needed to take care of himself. It was hardly the first time he had heard that scrap of advice, but usually he was the one giving it.

He had known that the Mates didn’t lie and if he had reached out with his senses, he might have noticed more things about his peaceful surroundings. There had been no reason for his bout of anxiety.

“I guess I wasn’t in my right mind. Blood loss...does tricky things to the brain, even with Time Lords.”

Of course, blood loss tended to relax the brain when the seepage was copious, but he had been lucid enough to absorb the fear of his dilemma.

Martha nodded solemnly. “Just try to stay calm when you’re hurt like that. I know it’s easier said than done, but the Mates were pretty worried about you, and we were too.”

He gave her a reassuring smile. “Will do.”

“I’m not telling you to do that for us,” Martha reminded him. “Studies show that wounds take longer to heal when the patient is under stress, both physical and psychological.”

The Doctor exhaled. His first instinct was to deny that he had been upset at all, but Martha and Jack would see right through that. Besides, he usually asked for complete transparency from them so that he could best take care of his companions. Doing it for himself was a luxury. He always healed quickly enough to negate needing it. Though usually he didn’t still have a wound like this.

“Next time...though hopefully there won’t be a next, I’ll try,” he told them.

Martha’s face split into an unexpected smile. “Do or do not, there is no try.”

“What?” The other two looked at her. Of course they tried, all the time.

“Just quoting something.” Martha waved away their curiosity. “You should eat something. I know that Time Lord healing replenishes your blood supply, but there’s nothing like good old-fashioned ingestion to help with that.”

“I’ll make dessert if you make your stir fry,” Jack offered to Martha.

Martha considered. “Your lava cakes, since we don’t have to worry about getting the kitchen messy.” She turned to the Doctor. “That sound good?”

That sounded utterly delicious to tell the truth. While he loved to cook, there was nothing as perfectly imperfect as human cooking.

“Molto bene!” He grinned.

His joy was infectious, and they became animated along with him. His companions assisted him to one of the kitchens so that he could watch them work, as well as enjoy the results. He made appreciative noises that made Jack laugh and Martha roll her eyes at him.

After some good warm food and even warmer company, the Doctor decided that next time he could keep a cool head, for them and for himself.

The End.


End file.
